1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of household waste container hauling and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a device mountable on a conventional trailer hitch for lifting and carrying a typical household waste container by carrying the container behind a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Waste containers are used by household and commercial establishments and is regularly picked up by a waste management company, for instance, on a weekly basis. Automation of collection devices for containers is a common part waste management. Waste and recycling companies have developed standardized containers that employ an integrated attachment recess and restraining bar. The containers are constructed of tough plastic and include molded into one side of the container a horizontal bar mounted for aiding in lifting. The trucks are equipped with a robotic arm which can be inserted into a recess between the bar and container and engages the same for automatically hoisting the container in an arc to dump the container into a truck bin.
These waste containers are typically very large and when full of waste render them too heavy to lift. Such containers have wheels for aiding in pick-up storage. The containers also have a hinged lid that swings open in the dumping cycle and is otherwise hand opened. The hinge of the lid normally incorporates one or more handles for tilting the container onto its wheels and is commonly positioned vertically over the wheels.
The lack of easy transportability of the containers can be problematic. For such pickup, the waste containers from the household or the commercial establishment must be taken to the roadside for picking up by the waste collection truck. However, the waste container may be quite a distance from the road or area where they are picked up by the truck and it can be burdensome particularly in inclement weather to wheel or drag the waste container to the point of pickup. This is particularly so in rural areas where the containers may need to be moved some distance to a main road for collection by the refuse company.
While some devices exist to aid in this regard, there is a need to provide an improved device mountable on a conventional trailer hitch for lifting and transporting a typical household waste container.